Grain aerator and dryer



O 1963 H. B. BOTHE ETAL GRAIN AERATOR AND DRYER Filed Nov. 22, 1961 f fi :5 l

United States Patent 3,106,148 GRAIN AERATOR AND DRYER Henry B. Bothe, Columbus, and Elmer L. Wurdeman,

. Leigh, Nebr. Filed Nov. 22, 1961, Ser. No. 154,249 2 Claims. (Cl. 98-57) This invention relates to grain -aerators and dryers of the type which are adapted tobe augered into grain, and more particularly, it is an object of this invention to provice such a device which is sturdier and more economical to manufacture than such aerators of prior art.

Heretofore it has been proposed that aerators be formed of a plurality of interconnected sections so that their length can be varied. However, the methods of attaching sections together have been chiefly by means of threads. While the threads tend to remain tight during insertion of such angers, they often loosen upon turning of the elongated auger shaft in a reverse direction for removal.

'Such loosening otten causes one section of an anger to remain lost in the middle .of a pile of grain, and substantially irretrievably lost.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide an aerator which is of sturdy, permanently connected construction.

Still another object is to provide an aerator handle which is attached to the auger shaft in a manner for providing a compressive frictional pressure entirely around the auger shaft whereby the pressure of the twisting from the handle is distributed all around the surf-ace of the shaft.

Still another object is to provide a handle as described further having additional means of securing it to the shaft in the form of one or more bolts extending through the relatively thin auger shaft material and out through the portions of a compression ring clamp of this invention, the clamp providing a gripping surface sufiiciently assist ing the gripping effect of the bolts themselves, that the bolts do not tend to rip or tear the relatively thin auger shaft material during the insertion of the auger by twisting it into tightly packed Another object is to provide an auger aerator, the auger threads of which extend across a point of the auger and back up on the section of the auger which is attached to the point suflilciently that the auger thread ridges tend to reinforce the joint between the point and the next ad jacent auger shaft section.

Still another object is to provide an auger shaft which has a plurality of auger thread ridges whereby the multiple ridges tend to further enhance the reinforcing effect of the ridges upon the joint between the relatively light sheet metal of the point and the adjacent auger shaft section.

A further object is to provide an auger Igrain aerotor, a twist handle of which is attached inwardly of a fan housing whereby angering can be accomplished without disconnection of the fan housing.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, drawings and claims, the scope of the invention not being limited to the drawings themselves as the drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating a way in which the principles of this invention can be applied.

Other embodiments of the invention utilizing the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the grain aerator and dryer of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the dryer. I

the handle portion of FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of the handle portion of I for a rigid construction.

At its forward inner end, the aerator 10 has a conical point 20 welded at 24 to the forward end of the forward shaft section 14.

Two auger ridges 30 and 32 begin on opposite sides of the conical end 20' and spirally wind upward sufficiently to substantially reinforce the welded joint 24 by extending across the joint 24.

It will be seen that the forward auger section 14 is perforated,having many perforations 40 for the free flow of air therethrough.

' -A motor and \fan housing 50 is rigidly attachedto the outer or rearward end of the rearward shaft section 12 at 60. On the interior of the fan housing 50 is a fan 64 driven by a motor :68 which is powered from any suitable electrical power source through a cord 70.

Referring to FIGURE 2, a handle is generally indicated there at which has two elongated hand grip sections 88 extending outwardly from opposite sides of a ring clamp 90. The ring clamp 90 has ends 92 adapted to be drawn together by a bolt and nut assembly 94, and the ring clamp is of a diameter for snugly fitting about the outer side of the rearward or outer shaft section 12 where it can be conveniently gripped by an operator for angering the shaft into grain.

Each hand grip section 88 is suitably secured at its inner end 98 to the ring clamp 90 such as by welding.

Braces 1G0 extend between and are welded to the ring 90 and at a point spaced to one side of the hand grip 88 and to the respective grip 88 at a point spaced away from the ring 90.

The handle 80 is attached to the outer shaft section 12 adjacent to the fan housing 50 and will grip the shaft section 12 firmly because of the frictional fit when the bolt and nut assembly 94 is tightened.

To further insure a fit that. will protect against slippage while au-gering into tightly packed grain, bolts with nuts 122 can be extended through the shaft section 12 and out through apertures in the ring clamp 90.

It will be found that since the shaft sections 12 and 14 are preferably made of a very thin material for economical construction, that a handle of this type is Very advantageous for providing a strong -fit such that the thin sheet metal of the shafts 12 and 14 do not collapse. Also the ring clamp 90 assists greatly by its compression to relieve the stress on the bolts 120 which would otherwise tear the light sheet metal at the bolts 120.

In use, the auger is angered into grain and even though the latter is tightly packed, there will be no separation of the shaft sections 12 and 14 firom each other because of the permanent attachment at the welded joint .16.

When the shaft is inserted and the motor 68 started, the fan 64 will effectively draw air into the grain through the many apertures 40 in the inner shaft section 14 by blowing air out of the fan 64.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a grain aerator and dryer constructed in accordance with our invention is particularly well adapted 3 for use, by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that our invention can be changed and m0di fied without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason, we do not wish to be understood as limiting ourselves to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out our invention in practice, except as claimed.

We claim:

1. A grain aerator and dryer comprising an'elongated hollow shaft, auger means attached to the forward end of said shaft, means attached to a rearward end of said shaft for moving air through said shaft, an inner section of said shaft being perforated for the movement of air therethrough, a handle attached :to the outer side of said shaft adjacent an outer end thereof, said handle comprismotion to said shaft to auger said shaft into grain, said ring clamp being attached to said shaft by at least one fastener extending through said shaft and through said ring clamp.

2. A grain aerator and dryer comprising an elongated hollow shaft, auger means attached to the forward end of said shaft, means attached to a rearward end of said shaft for moving air through said shaft, an inner section of said shaft being perforated for the movement of air therethrough, a handle attached to the outer side of said shaft adjacent an outer end thereof, said handle comprising a ring clamp having spaced apart opposed ends, a bolt and nut assembly for drawing said ends together to compress said ring clamp about the outer side of said shaft, said ring clam-p having a size suitable for snugly receiving the outer side of said shaft, and elongated hand grips attached to said ring clamp and extending outwardly therefrom on opposite sides thereof whereby an operator by gripping said hand grips can apply a twisting motion to said shaft to auger said shaft into grain, and reinforcing braces extending from points on said ring clamp which 'are spaced from said hand grips to points of said hand grips which are spaced from said ring clamp, said 'braces [being firmly attached at said points for rigidly bracing said hand grips for providing a strong and economical handle construction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,994,884 Chew Mar. 19, 1935 2,949,843 Mack Aug. 23, 1960 2,966,110 Borfield Dec. 27, 1960 

1. A GRAIN AERATOR AND DRYER COMPRISING AN ELONGATED HOLLOW SHAFT, AUGER MEANS ATTACHED TO THE FORWARD END OF SAID SHAFT, MEANS ATTACHED TO A REARWARD END OF SAID SHAFT FOR MOVING AIR THROUGH SAID SHAFT, AND INNER SECTION OF SAID SHAFT BEING PERFORATED FOR THE MOVEMENT OF AIR THERETHROUGH, A HANDLE ATTACHED TO THE OUTER SIDE OF SAID SHAFT ADJACENT AN OUTER END THEREOF, SAID HANDLE COMPRISING A RING CLAMP HAVING SPACED APART OPPOSED ENDS, A BOLT AND NUT ASSEMBLY FOR DRAWING SAID ENDS TOGETHER TO COMPRESS SAID RING CLAMP ABOUT THE OUTER SIDE OF SAID SHAFT, SAID RING CLAMP HAVING A SIZE SUITABLE FOR SNUGLY RECEIVING THE OUTER SIDE OF SAID SHAFT, AND ELONGATED HAND GRIPS ATTACHED TO SAID RING CLAMP AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM ON OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF WHEREBY AN OPERATOR BY GRIPPING SAID HAND GRIPS CAN APPLY A TWISTING MOTION TO SAID SHAFT TO AUGER SAID SHAFT INTO GRAIN, SAID RING CLAMP BEING ATTACHED TO SAID SHAFT BY AT LEAST ONE FASTENER EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SHAFT AND THROUGH SAID RING CLAMP. 